Beech 1900D incident near Rockland, Maine, August 2, 2005
On August 2, 2005 at about 9:09 pm local time, a Beech 1900D, registered N136MJ, was involved in an incident near Rockland, Maine (Knox County Regional Airport). It was flown under scheduled airline rules (Part 121). No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loose elevator attachment, which resulted in a partial elevator binding during takeoff and uncommanded elevator movement during cruise.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 2, 2005 · about 9:09 pm local time
- Place
- Rockland, Maine · Knox County Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 9 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 1900D · all 1900Ds on the register
- Registration
- N136MJ · no longer on the register · serial UE-36
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · scheduled airline rules (Part 121)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the takeoff rotation, the captain pulled the yoke with both hands, but it did not move. The captain then pulled significantly harder, and the yoke moved quickly aft. The airplane jumped into the air, but the captain was able to maintain controlled flight, and continue to the destination airport. During cruise flight, everything was normal except that the elevator trim moved slowly nose up, which required an input of 1/2-unit nose down trim every 1 to 2 minutes. Subsequent examination of the airplane revealed that the left elevator could be moved around by hand. Further examination revealed that seven rivets were loose, and one rivet was missing in the vicinity of the left side elevator outer hinge-point attach bracket. Ground tests were unable to duplicate the elevator anomaly as reported by the captain. However, a fleet inspection of the operator's aircraft revealed that five of the eleven airplanes had loose rivets on the elevator hinge-point attach brackets. In addition, fleet inspections of other operators' same make and model aircraft revealed that some of the airplanes had loose rivets on the elevator hinge-point attach brackets. The suspect rivets and elevator were replaced on the incident airplane, and the anomaly did not reoccur.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,604 hours in all; 2,450 in this make and model; 175 in the last 90 days; 61 in the last 30 days; 2,103 as pilot in command; 340 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,320 hours in all; 270 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 972 as pilot in command; 624 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 20,535 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, July 1, 2005; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 17,120 lb
- Seats: 21
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67D (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Colgan Air. Inc
The flight
- Departed from: RKD Rockland ME at 9:09 pm
- Destination: AUG Augusta ME
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 21, 3,900 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from RKD
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.